Talk:Oncogenomics

Flowchart
Any chance we could get that in a "vertical" arrangement? I think there would be less wasted white space (or blue space) that way. I have something in mind that does this:

Cancer research box (one arrow down) Oncogenomics box (three arrows down) Improve box - Prognosis box - Therapeutics box

The last three boxes would need their shapes changed (fewer words per line). What do you think? WhatamIdoing (talk) 05:35, 8 March 2008 (UTC)

Outdated
Content is outdated and inaccurate. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 178.118.91.31 (talk) 02:21, 12 January 2012 (UTC)

Tumor evolution clarification
Second paragraph reads: "Cancer develops due to DNA mutations and epigenetic alterations that accumulate randomly. Identifying and targeting the mutations in an individual patient may lead to increased treatment efficacy."

Genetic mutations are generated randomly but they do not accumulate randomly. Like any biological self-replicating entity, tumors are subject to selective pressures like metabolic limitations, chemotherapeutics, and immune surveillance. Genetic mutations accumulate non-randomly because of selection pressures. Cells with advantages (e.g. chemo efflux pumps) are more likely to be selected and the gene or genes responsible for the efflux pump increase in frequency non-randomly. I think this is an important point because targeted therapies are aimed at these advantages.